Wisconsin Soccer Central

Five years ago, Tim Ward (Waukesha) was invited to preseason training camp with the Chicago Fire as a trialist, made the team and went on to start 19 league matches for the Major League Soccer team.

Now it appears that the 26-year-old Ward will try to replicate that performance – and re-start his professional soccer career.

While the club hasn't issued an official preseason roster, Chicago Now's Fire Confidential blog reported Monday that Ward is in camp with the team in Ave Maria, Fla. The team also posted an article about Ward on Tuesday.

Ward is an eight-year MLS veteran, having played for the MetroStars (2005), Columbus Crew (2006 to '08), Colorado Rapids (2008), Chicago (2009 and '10) and the San Jose Earthquakes (2010 to '12). He has seven assists in 71 career league games (62 starts).

However, he struggled with leg injuries, appearing in just three matches in 2011 and none in 2012 before being released by San Jose, and didn't play last season. Frank Yallop, hired as the Fire's coach on Oct. 31, was coaching the Earthquakes when they acquired Ward in a trade with Chicago in August 2010.

Ward played for U.S. youth national teams from Under-17 through Under-23 and spent one season at Saint Louis before signing a Generation adidas contract with MLS. He was the 12th overall selection in the 2005 SuperDraft.

• Midfielder Bryan Ciesiulka (Marquette), Chicago's fourth-round pick in last week's MLS SuperDraft, also is in camp with Chicago, according to the Fire Confidential blog. On Twitter: @bciesiulka
• Two plays made by former UW-Milwaukee players – a save by goalkeeper Bryce Boyd (Milwaukee Marquette) for the Green team Saturday and defender Greg Rosenthal's headed assist off a free kick for the Red team on Sunday – are among the video highlights from last weekend's scrimmages at the USL PRO Combine in Bradenton, Fla.

Editor's note: This article has been edited from its original version to reflect information that became available after posting.